Ball rack



BALL RACK Filed March l0, 192?.

HM ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 21, 1924.

asian-i;

LEWIS I. RTT''R, or KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

BALI. "-RAGK.

To all whom. t1-'may 'concern-' Be it known that lI, LEWIS I. BUTTER, a citizen of the United -States,*residing -at Kansas City, in 'the county .offJack-son `and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Ball Racks,

of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates t'o improvements vin ball racks.

It is particularly well adaptedfor .use on bowling .alley ball racks.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide novel cushioning means for holding balls apart on the runway of a rack, for the purpose of preventing the balls striking each other so as to splinter or otherwise damage them. y

A further object of my invention is to provide cushioning means of the kind described which is simple, cheap to make, durable, not liable to get out of order and which is wholly automatic in operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel ball cushioning device which can be readily applied to ball racks now in use.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. l is a side elevation of a portion of a ball rack provided with my improved cushioning means.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the yokes and cushioning pad depending therefrom.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, partly broken away, of an end portion of a ball rack provided with my improvement taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the different views.

1 designates each vof two parallel longitudinal runway members of a ball rack, such as is ordinarily employed in bowling al- The end of the rack has an inclinedy portion 2, provided at its lower end, Fig. 1,

leys.

with a ball stop comprising a vertical board 3, secured at its lower end toy and between the members l. 4 designates the balls used on the runway, having a uniform diameter and adapted to be spaced apart and held from striking each other by my improved cushioning fdevices,-each of'which comprises,

cushioning pad 5, preferably of .soft rubber,

which has :its iupper thicker end 'clamped to the transverse portion y'of an inverted uU- shaped yoke 6, by a transverse `plate 7 wh ich is secured to the transverse portion of the yoke', lby bolts v6, having nuts 9.

The vpad -5 adepends between 'the arms of the yoke 6 in vthe Vpath of the yballs4. The

lower ends of pthearms Vof the"yoke\6,iare' provided with inwardly extending projections 10, which are respectively secured to `The yokes Gare spaced apart a distance substantially the same asthe diameter lof the balls 4, and are disposed in positions such that the pads 5 will be in the path of the balls 4, andv will project between the balls below the centers thereof.

the under sides o-f the members l byl screws preferably, a flexible resilient wedge-shaped Y In the operation of my invention, the first ball will run on the runway between` the yokes 6, and past the pads 5, and will come at rest against the stop 3. The next ball will run down the place of rest portion 2, of

the runway and will strike against the last rated from each other by the intervening pads 5.

By having the pads resilient and wedgeshaped, and fastened at their thicker ends, to the yokes, they will have a spring action which will force them from the top of the balls to the rear thereof, as the balls pass under them and comeI to rest. The pads 5 by preventing the balls contacting with each other, prevent the balls from being marred or damaged as often happens when thel balls forcibly strike each other when rolled onto the runway..l

It will be noted that the yokes 6 are each disposed to the rear of the division line between the balls. This is for the purpose of enabling the pads 5 to assume their proper protective position between the balls and to prevent each pad from resting on the upper side of the ball just in front of the padwhen such ball comes to rest.

I do not limit my invention to the structure shown and described, as many modifications, within the scope of the appended r claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is l. In a ball rack of the kind described, a runway having a place of rest for balls, inverted U-shaped yokes mounted on said runway at said place of rest and spaced apart from each other a distance substantially the same as the diameter of the balls used, and iiexible cushioning devices respectively suspended from said yokes in the path of said balls and in position in which they will respectively hold the balls apart when the latter are,` at said place of rest on the runway, substantially as set forth.

2. In a ball rack of the kind described, a runway having a place of rest for balls, supporting devices mounted on said runway at said place of rest, and wedge-shaped resil- 20 ientcushioning pads fastened at their thicker ends respectively to said devices and an ranged to depend between and to hold apart said balls when the latter are at said place of rest on the runway, substantially as set forth.

3.' A cushioning device of the kind described comprising an inverted U-shaped yoke having means for being attached to and to bridge over a runway for balls, and a exible resilient wedge-shaped cushioning pad fastened at its thicker end to the transverse portion of said yoke and depending between the arms of the latter and adapted to extend between and hold apart two balls on the runway, when the yoke is attached in the operative position to the latter, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification.

LEWIS I. BUTTER. 

